Joseph Frederickson and his now-wife, Janessa Doucette-Frederickson, discovered three vertebrae from Leptostyrax macrorhiza while on a fossil-hunting trip near Fort Worth, Texas, with their University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee paleontology club. Doucette-Frederickson stumbled upon one of the vertebra that was exposed on the surface. The fossils remained unidentified until 2014 when both Joseph and Janessa began their Ph.D. programs at the University of Oklahoma in the departments of biology and anthropology, respectively. Both work in collections at the Sam Noble Museum: Joseph in the vertebrate paleontology collection and Janessa in the ethnology collection.

The vertebrae were transferred to the Sam Noble Museum when Frederickson realized that it was the perfect research-based collection to house the specimens. Southern Oklahoma, like parts of Texas, also serves as home to the Duck Creek Formation, the rock formation in which the vertebrae were found, so bringing the vertebrae to the museum was almost a homecoming.

“Given the museum’s history, state-of-the-art collections, world-class displays and highly professional research and education staff, I knew the fossils would be in the best care,” he said.After transferring the specimens, Frederickson began studying them.

“At first we had the vertebrae, but no teeth, so we couldn’t identify it,” Frederickson said.

After extensive research, Joseph and Janessa, along with Scott Schaefer discovered that their specimens were quite similar to that of another shark fossil found in the Kiowa Shale of Kansas. And thus, Joseph, Scott and Janessa’s Leptostyrax macrorhiza was identified. Their scientific paper on the findings, A Gigantic Shark from the Lower Cretaceous Duck Creek Formation of Texas, was published in PLOS ONE in June.

The shark itself is one of the largest to ever live in North America. The megalodon, perhaps the most famous of extinct giant sea sharks, may have reached a maximum of 24 to 25 meters — but it lived about 2.6 to 15.9 million years ago. Leptostyrax most likely would have been smaller than that. So far, the researchers’ current estimates have it at around 20 feet long.That’s a conservative estimate, however.According to Frederickson, that’s the smallest they believe the shark could have been. In reality, it may have been several feet longer.

“The shark from the movie Jaws was 24 feet long,” he said, comparing his specimen’s size. “This one could have been the same size.”

And unlike the megalodon, Leptostyrax lived about 100 million years ago, making it, most likely, the apex predator of the seas when it was alive. This means it would have sat at the top of the food chain, devouring species previously thought to be the apex predator, like the plesiosaur.

The scientific paper is a fount of information about the Duck Creek Formation, the area in Fort Worth where the vertebrae were found, and infinite details about the vertebrae themselves. However, they have lingering questions about their find and plan on publishing a second paper over the course of their search for answers.

A major question they’ve identified is why they haven’t seen an example of Cope’s Rule with this find. Cope’s rule is the idea that population lineages have a tendency to increase in size over time, meaning animals get bigger as they evolve over time. Leptostyrax, however, doesn’t seem to have any predecessors, so far, that gradually increase in size to the one it held at extinction.

“We didn’t see a step up with this,” Frederickson said.

The team hopes to include additional information from CT scans in future research. This fascinating discovery will further unfold as they continue their research at the Sam Noble Museum. Read more in our blog post about Leptostyrax.

]]>http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/slider/galileos-world-an-exhibition-without-walls/feed/0Include the Sam Noble Museum on You Next Adventure!http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/include-the-sam-noble-museum-on-you-next-adventure/
http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/include-the-sam-noble-museum-on-you-next-adventure/#commentsTue, 26 May 2015 17:25:24 +0000http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/?p=66161Read More]]>The Sam Noble Museum is a proud Adventure Road Travel Partner. Explore the Chickasaw Nation's Adventure Road today and create your own personalized itinerary including the Sam Noble Museum and other attractions on Oklahoma's Adventure Road.The Adventure Road is where the Great American Road Trip has been reborn. These 130 miles of Oklahoma highway are built for explorers and travelers, individuals and families, whether looking for amazing day trips or spectacular week-long getaways. The notion of breaking free and hitting the road is a time-honored tradition – Adventure Road helps to ensure that tradition is kept alive.
]]>http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/include-the-sam-noble-museum-on-you-next-adventure/feed/0Blue Star Museums Programhttp://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/blue-star-museums-program/
http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/blue-star-museums-program/#commentsTue, 26 May 2015 16:54:08 +0000http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/?p=66151Read More]]>The Sam Noble Museum kicked off this summer season with a collaboration among the National Endowment of the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer complimentary admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2015.

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 25, 2015, through Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2015.

The free admission program is available to active duty military, veterans and their immediate family members (military ID holder and five immediate family members). In addition to active duty members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, the program also targets active duty National Guard and Reserve members.

]]>http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/blue-star-museums-program/feed/0Free First Mondays for Kids!http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/free-first-mondays-for-kids/
http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/free-first-mondays-for-kids/#commentsMon, 11 May 2015 19:59:50 +0000http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/?p=65101Free is always more fun! This summer the Sam Noble Museum is offering free admission to all visitors 17 and under on the first Monday of June, July, August and September! General museum admission applies for visitors 18 and up.
]]>http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/free-first-mondays-for-kids/feed/1Video: Behind the Rain: The Story of a Museumhttp://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/video-behind-the-rain-the-story-of-a-museum/
http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/video-behind-the-rain-the-story-of-a-museum/#commentsThu, 22 Jan 2015 21:59:38 +0000http://snomnhwebsite.azurewebsites.net/?p=45141Produced by Sam Noble Museum director Michael A. Mares and Roberta Pacino, "Behind the Rain" tells the surprising and dramatic story behind the construction of The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.

]]>http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/video-behind-the-rain-the-story-of-a-museum/feed/0Video: Discover OU Michael Mareshttp://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/video-discover-ou-michael-mares/
http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/video-discover-ou-michael-mares/#commentsThu, 22 Jan 2015 21:49:08 +0000http://snomnhwebsite.azurewebsites.net/?p=44851Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is the only natural history museum in the state of Oklahoma as well as one of the finest in the world. Housing over 10 million objects, many of which are sourced directly from Oklahoma, the museum offers visitors a gateway to the past.

Wildlife often inhabits the paintings, drawings, sculptures, and illustrated letters of artist Charles M. Russell (1864–1926). From graceful birds to pungent skunks, nimble deer to powerful bear, animals appear individually and in groups, alone in nature, and in contact with humans. Although most of the critters Russell portrayed dwelled in the wilds of Montana, a few exotic species—lions, tigers, elephants, monkeys among them—made cameo appearances as well. Buffalo claimed a special place in the artist’s heart, and after considering several other animal-inspired glyphs, the outline of the skull of a bull bison became part of the signature he applied to his work.

Russell loved the natural world, believed in its innate superiority and often celebrated its majesty and harmony in his art. At the same time, he agonized over the toll that hunting, trapping, disease, and development took on wild animals in the American West. The artist called himself a harmless hunter, who stalked game with a paintbrush rather than a rifle or a bow. Hunters depicted in his work usually pursue their quarry for meat, not sport, and in many such encounters animals, not humans, hold the upper hand.

The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is one of the state's most elegant and unique venues for hosting your next special event. The beautiful spaces lend themselves to any kind of event, large or small. Let Oklahoma's natural history create a unique experience for you and your guests. The Museum provides a perfect balance of sophistication and adventure as you mingle beneath a full-scale mammoth or wander through the galleries.

]]>http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/uncategorized/host-an-event/feed/0Scouts Programshttp://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/scouts-programs/
http://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/news-and-media/scouts-programs/#commentsTue, 23 Dec 2014 17:19:49 +0000http://snomnhproduction.azurewebsites.net/?p=36241Read More]]>Have your next troop meeting with the dinosaurs! Includes activities and general admission for the scout. A minimum of one adult chaperone is required per five scouts. Attending adults receive complementary admission. Space is limited and advance registration is required. On-site registration is not available for this program. To enroll, please call (405) 325-1008 or click the link below.

Spring 2015 Scout Badge Workshops

$10 Per Scout
Includes activities and general admission for the scout, badges not included. A minimum of one adult chaperone is required per five scouts. Attending adults receive complimentary admission.

Registration begins December 1 for Members; December 15 for Non-members.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. On-site registration is not available for this program.

Brownies: Senses

Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m. to noon

Have you used your senses today? Join us for a sense-ational experience as we use our senses to investigate the natural world in this exciting workshop! Brownie Scouts will complete all requirements for the “Senses” badge. Badge not included.

Juniors: Detective

Saturday, May 2, 1 to 4 p.m.

The game is afoot! Join us as we investigate a museum mystery using natural science techniques and some good old-fashioned detective work. Junior Girl Scouts will complete all requirements for their “Detective” badge. Badge not included.